Chapter 8 – You're Not Alone
Naruto breathed heavily as he rested back against a destroyed tree, the upper half of the tree above him was reduced to cinder. Several feet in front of him was a serious looking Kaguya, who crossed her arms as she stared her grandson down. Naruto was wearing an orange t-shirt and black training pants while Kaguya had a white shirt that reached above her stomach and blue jeans.
"This can't be all you have Naruto." Kaguya said as she stared at Naruto. "What happened to all that determination you had?"
Naruto's eyebrow twitched as he stared up at her, "Who says I'm done? I can still go on!" The blonde slowly got back to his feet, though he seemed to be struggling a bit as four crimson energy bracelets appears his wrists and ankles, each connected to one another by a line of energy. Naruto focused his energy on the bracelets, allowing him to move a little easier and get to his feet faster. "There… much better."
Kaguya had a small smirk appear on her face, "Good, it seems you've gotten used to the Demonic Shackles… the first level at least."
"You're enjoying this way too much…" Naruto muttered to himself as he looked at his amused grandmother, who seemed to be enjoying tor-training her grandson. 'I wonder who's the bigger sadist, her or Akeno… nope, definitely Akeno.'
"Do your best, Big brother!" Naruto turned his head to see Mito and Asia a distance away from the two, both wearing training outfits of their own, Mito had a red shirt with the Lucifer symbol on the back and black shorts, and Asia was wearing a simple white shirt and navy-blue shorts.
"Don't worry, I will help heal you afterwards!" Asia said with a bright smile, even though she had a few scratches and dirty marks covering her face and body, Mito was in a similar condition.
"Remember you two, just a few more minutes and we get back to training." Kushina said as she walked up to the girls, the woman was wearing a pale-yellow shirt and black tight-shorts, Mito let out a small groan while Asia nodded her head. Naruto couldn't help but laugh at himself as he turned away from the two and faced his grandmother, thinking back to three weeks ago when he, Mito, Asia and Rias had returned to his house after leaving the church.
(Flashback)
Naruto looked across the table towards his parents and grandmother from his seat, sitting in the chairs to his left was Mito and Asia while Rias sat in the chair on his right. Everyone was silent as Rias shifted her gaze to Naruto, who was staring at Kushina and Kaguya with hard eyes and serious expression. It was understandable to see why he was looking at them like that, this whole situation with Mito and him being targeted for something they didn't know about, anyone would be mad. Mito and Asia were looking back and forth between Naruto and the adults across the table.
"… So," Naruto finally spoke as he crossed his arms. "You knew about the supernatural world as well… Dad."
Minato nodded his head, "Yes I did, but I knew about it long before I met your mother. But even though I knew she was a Devil, it surprisingly didn't matter to me… All I cared about was that I loved your mother with everything I had, and I still do to this day." Kushina couldn't help but smile at her husband's words.
"But what about your lifespan? Supernatural beings live several times longer than humans after all…" Rias said as she looked at Naruto's father with a curious tone, "Both of you must already know about that."
"That won't be an issue." Kushina replied, "Due to an incident that happened a long time ago, about two years after Minato and I met, his lifespan was magically linked to mine thanks to a forgotten spell."
Naruto raised an eyebrow at a few certain words she had said, "What incident? And what spell was it?"
"I think that is a story for another time," Kaguya interrupted, drinking a cup of tea that appeared out of nowhere. Placing the cup down, the woman leaned back into her seat. "Right now, however, I believe we have some explanation to do."
"Yes, you do." Naruto copied her movements and leaned back in his chair, narrowing his eyes again, "You can start by telling us why you hid something this important from us."
Kaguya was silent for a moment before nodding her head, "Alright, I believe you deserve that much at least… It was after the Great War, after the three Factions withdrew from the battlefield, each side suffering majorly from the war. As you and Rias know, the Devils not only lost a lot of their numbers, but the Previous Four Satans. When my father, Lucifer, had died in the war, his clan and all its power and responsibilities went to me." Kaguya closed her eyes, deep in thought as she recalled what had happened so long ago. "Many descendants and clansmen of the Four Great Satans wanted to finish the Great War and tried to continue their legacies…"
"But you didn't." Rias spoke up as she recalled the history recorded on the conflict between the Old Satan Faction and the Anti-Satan Faction her brother had been a part of. "I remember my brother telling me that there had been a few descendants that were against the war."
Kaguya nodded her head, "That's right, I believed that the war had gone on long enough and we had lost too much already. But many in our clan believed differently, they and many of those that served under us had abandoned the clan, forming a group with the other descendants."
"But because your grandmother was not a part of their group, the Anti-Satan group defeated them and sent them into hiding." Kushina spoke next.
"Is Grandma really that powerful?" Mito asked while tilting her head to the side.
"Mito, there are several different rankings and categories when it comes to Devil." Kaguya answered with a small smile, "While the Four Great Satans are known to be the leaders of the Underworld, there are four other Devils that are exceptionally powerful, they are called Super Devils."
"Two of them are actually a part of the current Four Great Satans, one of them being my older brother." Mito blinked a few times before looking over at Rias in surprise.
"You're talking about your laid-back brother who's similar to Big brother?"
The teenage red head smiled at the girl, "That's right. Sirzechs is a Super Devil and is actually the current holder of the title Lucifer." The Gremory heiress turned to Kaguya, "So what you are saying… is that you are the third Super Devil."
"That is correct. Anyway, back to what I was saying, I had chosen to try and resolve things peacefully, much to my clansmen's objections. So, they left the clan to fight against the Anti-Satan faction and were soon forced to go into hiding, it was after everything had ended that I decided to go traveling." A very bright smile appeared on the Matriarch's face as she continued, "It was during my travels that I met your grandfather."
"Our… grandfather…?" Naruto repeated.
"Yes, he was a Pureblood Devil named Menma Lucifer, though his original name was Menma Dantalion." Kaguya closed her eyes with a smile as she thought about her husband, not seeing the surprised look on Rias' face. "It was years later that the two of us married and that was soon followed with your mother being born."
"Um, if you don't mind me asking… What happened to him?" Asia asked with a shy voice.
The smile on Kaguya's face turned a little bitter as she slowly opened her eyes, "Unfortunately he died when Kushina was twelve years old. During the Great War he had been injured by a Holy Weapon that had an additional spell cast on it, which slowly killed the Devil or Fallen Angel it cut."
"I'm sorry…" Asia said as she looked down with a sad expression. "I didn't mean to –"
"It's alright dear, Menma lived a happy and fulfilling life until his death. That's all that matters." The Lucifer Head interrupted with a comforting smile, making the blonde girl smile back at her.
"So, Naruto and Mito are not only descendants of the Lucifer Clan, one of the Four Great Clans, but also have the blood of a member of the House of Dantalion, one of the 72 pillars, flowing through their veins." Rias spoke up before placing her hands on the table. "Members of the Dantalion are known for their excellent control over their magical powers and high intelligence."
"Yes that's right, but Menma had left his clan before we met and had taken my name. And as you have seen firsthand after Naruto had awakened as a Devil, he has inherited that control from his grandfather." Rias couldn't help but nod in agreement as she thought back to Naruto's battles, the blonde had showed incredible control for someone who had only been a Devil for a short time, and it usually took much long for someone to properly use energy manipulation and other powerful forms of magic.
"I may have an increase in control, but I still trained hard to get it. I spent over a month learning how to control my powers and increase my fighting capabilities, until I've passed out from exhaustion almost every time, and I don't plan on stopping." Naruto said as his eyes narrowed a bit, he was the kind of person who would rather train hard and push himself to get stronger, he never liked such people who took their powers and abilities for granted. "I'm going to continue to get stronger, no matter how hard I have to push myself."
Kaguya stared at Naruto in silence as she seemed to be studying him, before letting out a giggle. "What's so funny?" Mito asked with a small frown, thinking the older woman was laughing at her brother.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh." Kaguya replied before calming herself, but the smile on her face didn't disappear. "You just really remind me of your grandfather, he had that same look of determination and drive when it came to getting stronger and training. He would rather work himself to the bone then rely on his natural abilities… " The older woman went quiet as she thought about the past.
"… I'm sorry to talk about this now, but there is something I don't understand." Rias spoke up, making the others turn to her. "With the bloodline and lineage that Naruto and Mito have, it puts a lot of focus on them along with all that potential inside of them… why did you keep it a secret from them until now?" After a few seconds of no reply from either Kaguya or Kushina, Rias continued to speak. "I know you may have had your reasons, but with what just happened with the Fallen Angels…"
"You don't have to say anymore, both my mother and I realize how bad the situation could have turned if Naruto had not acquired that Holy Artifact of his." Kushina answered as her gaze drifted to Saber, who was sitting on Naruto's shoulder with a serious expression. "We never wanted you both to be put in harm's way, at least not until either of you had awakened your powers."
Naruto ignored her staring at his small companion and said in a cold tone, "That still doesn't explain anything. Both Mito and I could have been killed, and for reasons we would had no idea of. I was lucky that I learned about the supernatural world from Saber… Why did you hide this from us and make us think we were regular humans?"
The women looked at each other with expressionless looks before nodding, Kaguya turned to the younger Devils, plus one spirit and one half-Devil, across the table. "The reason we did this was to protect you both… you see, there is someone who I never want either of you to come in contact with, a man who wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone to get what he wants."
"Who is this man, what's his name?" Naruto questioned her with a raised eyebrow.
"Unfortunately, I can't say, like I said before, I would rather you never come in contact with this person. The last time I had seen him was after the Great War, and honestly I would have been happy to have never seen him again." Kaguya explained as she crossed her arms, "But sometimes the things from our pasts have ways of coming back whether we want them or not… That man appeared before me again during the time Kushina was pregnant with you, Naruto. I won't go into detail about what happened between us during that meeting, but after he left I had decided to make sure he would not go near the two of you."
"Your grandmother came to us and told us about the dangerous situation, the three of us agreed to seal your powers away, at least until you awakened them when you were older. " Kushina continued, "I even limited my own powers so we could blend in a little more, and your grandmother kept away at a distance so no one could make a connection between you two and Lucifer. And after a few years, we were able to successfully do just that… But it seems the Fallen Angels were able to somehow discover the truth."
"And because we didn't know the situation and couldn't use our full powers." Naruto clenched his hands into fists, "Since we couldn't use that, Mito, Asia and I were almost killed… Not really your best idea."
"I understand you being angry with us Naruto, but to be honest we were going to tell you in a few days. Almost as soon as you became a Devil thanks to Rias, we had contacted Kaguya to come here as soon as possible. But it took her a while because she was taking care of some business before making contact with you." Minato responded with a relieved smile, "Even if you're angry, I'm glad that all of you are alright."
Naruto stared at his father for a second before letting out a sigh, 'I'm having trouble between being angry at them for hiding this from us or understanding of their situation at the time.' The blonde Devil thought to himself.
"… So back then, when we first met, the spell I used…" Rias started to say as she remembered that morning before she tried to turn Naruto into a member of her Peerage.
Kushina smirked a bit, "It was a good attempt, and I will admit you were very accurate in its use, but I already knew about you and your spell. It was easy for me to dismiss because of my power being much higher than yours. I just didn't say anything because of how close you were with my son." The smirk grew, making the Gremory heiress shifted a bit in her seat. "I thought you both were especially cute when I saw you two a few mornings back." That comment made the two's faces turn red at the fact that Kushina had caught them sleeping in the same bed… but from the sound of it, she didn't know about Rias being naked at the time.
Remembering something that Kaguya had said before, Naruto shook his head to get rid of his blush before speaking, "What did Grandma mean when she said I was her heir, wouldn't that fall onto you Mom?"
"Not exactly, I had given up my right to be the heir after I chose to marry your father. Both you and Mito are heirs to the Lucifer clan, however since you are the first born you're the next head of the family unless you give it up as well, then it would go to Mito." Kushina explained to her son, making him nod his head in understanding.
"So, what happens now? I'm guessing now that I'm the heir to the Lucifer clan, I'll be expected to know a few things." Naruto said.
"That's right, I will be personally training you to become my heir, with all the power and responsibilities that fall with it." Kaguya explained with a smirk and sent a small shiver down her grandson's spine, "I hope you're ready Naruto, because you will experience things you couldn't even imagine."
Naruto stared at Kaguya in silence, thinking about what he would be learning from the Head. He was cut off from his thoughts as he felt Rias place a hand on his, making him look at her to see her giving him a heartening smile, he turned his head to the other side and saw that Mito and Asia were also giving him a lot of encouragement. He could also feel Saber patting a hand on his head. Turning back to his grandmother, a grin appeared on his face, "Alright, when do we get started?"
(Flashback End)
The next day his training with Kaguya began and true to her word, it was unlike anything he had ever imagined. There wasn't a moment when he wasn't pushing himself during training, whether it was by physical means of hand-to-hand combat or even fighting with swords or learning how to use all of his powers both Light and Darkness. Kaguya even trained him on the more intellectual points of being an heir to the Lucifer clan, such as the political issues that involve other Devil families and even the other Factions, she also had him go over battle strategies for when he has to go into battle himself. But no matter how difficult or painful the older woman made the training, Naruto would always work himself till his body couldn't move, which was difficult at times for when he had to go to school, take requests, or have his weekly spar with Arcueid.
And while Naruto was training under Kaguya, Mito and Asia learned from Kushina about using Devil magic and other subjects. Kaguya had released Mito's true power and turned her into a Pure-blood like her brother, and soon after that the two siblings asked their parents to adopt Asia, much to the former nun's surprise. Kushina and Minato agreed whole-heartedly in making Asia an official part of the family, which brought the girl to tears at the thought of finally having a family. After making the adoption official on paper, Kaguya and Kushina preformed a small ritual that, with Rias' permission as Asia's King, made the female blonde an adopted member of the Lucifer clan. She was even able to join Kuoh Academy thanks to Rias pulling some strings. And while their training wasn't as hard as Naruto's, Kushina was making sure that her daughters would be able to handle themselves if they got into a fight.
Naruto shook his head to clear his thoughts, he needed to focus on the training happening in front of him. Shifting his body a bit, the blonde faced his grandmother with both hands brought back while clenched tightly into two fists. His two different energies surrounded him in a giant burst as he tried to concentrate them into each fist.
"You're trying too hard to push the power into your fists, you need to let it flow through your body naturally." Kaguya said as she studied Naruto's movements from behind him. As she suspected, it was harder for him to control a large amount of Darkness magic and Light magic at the same time, thanks to him being used to using only Light. From what she learned, TRUE Light magic came from the more positive emotions, the reason beings like the Fallen Angels were able to use it was because of the twisted version they had developed for their personal use. Darkness magic was a bit more difficult to use, well the regular version of Darkness magic anyway, but the Darkness magic that the Lucifer clan used was a hereditary power that came out naturally, it just took a bit of training to properly handle it. She was brought out of her thoughts as Naruto's power calmed itself, swirling around him in a calm manner compared to his large burst earlier, "… Good, now I want you to imagine the Light on your left side and the Darkness on your left. You did something similar to this during your fight with that Fallen Angel, however this time you have full access to your dark magic."
Naruto didn't reply as he slowly closed his eyes, he could feel his power surrounding him, but unlike before when he fought against Arcueid it was calm and controlled. The blonde slowly opened his eyes and was surprised to see his power spiraling around him, there were small gaps between the two magical energies. "… Incredible, is this really the power inside me?"
"That's right, you can feel it can't you? The power is soothing yet at the same time it is fierce, that comes from the fact you can use opposite forms of magic, something that no one in our clan has been able to do." Kaguya released her own power, which caused Naruto to take a step back from the sudden increase in pressure. "You certainly have the potential, now all we need to do is push you to your limits and beyond. Just because you have power doesn't mean you'll take things easy, if you want to become the next Head you'll have to earn it."
Naruto nodded his head before shifting his stance again, "Perfect, just how I like things. I wouldn't be satisfied if everything was just handed to me!" With a strong push from his legs, the Lucifer heir leaped at Kaguya with a fist brought back. The woman only smirked at her grandson drew close before shooting a fist out.
-NULRGNULRGNULRGNULRGNULRGNULRGNULRGNULRGNULRGNULRGNULRGNULRGNULRGNULRGNULRG-
"Ara ara, are you okay Naruto?"
The only reply Akeno received was a groan that came from the male blonde, who was lying face-down on one of the couches with his face in the pillow. The two were the only ones in the Club room as Kiba, Koneko and Asia were handling requests, though Asia was still getting used to it. And Rias was helping Issei train to increase his physical capabilities as he needed to improve after his fight with the Fallen Angel Raynare.
"You must really be pushing yourself with training, huh?" Akeno said with a giggle as the blonde raised his head to look at the girl for a second before letting his head fall back into the pillow.
"I need to. There's a lot I have to make up for when it comes to being prepared for the future… I just wish there was a way to make copies of myself, that way I could do several different things at once." Naruto replied while he felt the aches and pain throughout his body. Saber could heal him completely, but it was a different matter for feeling the pain. He could heal any wound in an instant, but the discomfort from said injuries was still present if it was bad enough. "I haven't trained this hard in a long time, and I'm still doing it too."
"Oh, you mean the Demonic Shackles?" Akeno's gaze went to the energy bracelets that were being concealed at the moment thanks to Kaguya putting a spell on them so no one could see them. "If I recall correctly, those not only increase your body's gravity by several times, but they limit you movements as well."
"Yeah, it's a way for me to increase my physical and magical capabilities at the same time, I have to use a lot of my power just to move my hand. My grandmother just raised the level, so I have to get used to them again…" Naruto looked up from his bracelets to the black-haired girl and sweatdropped when he noticed the blush on her face, "I don't like the look in your eye."
"I have no idea what you're talking about. I just think that those shackles of yours are so… fascinating." The tone that Akeno used when she finished that sentence made Naruto shiver as he tried to move his body, only to fall face-first to the floor. "You must be really exhausted Naruto, fufufu."
"Don't remind me, my entire body is sore." Naruto said before groaning again, this time from pleasure as he felt a soft hand rub into his back.
"If you want, I can give you a back massage." Akeno offered with a smile as she continued to press his back, "It can really help release a lot of the tension."
"… Thanks, but maybe I should get off the floor. It's not really that comfortable." Getting a nod from Akeno, they moved Naruto onto the table, which was covered by a sheet, and lay himself face down. Though Akeno had him remove his school jacket and shoes, so now he was just wearing his white long-sleeved shirt and his school pants. A few minutes later Akeno sat on top of Naruto's body with her legs bent on either side, massaged his shoulders and back, kneading into a few of his muscles and loosening some of the tension. "… You're really good at this Akeno."
Akeno paused for a second before continuing to massage his back with a small smile. It wasn't the first time her classmate had given her compliments like that, but for some reason it always felt nice to hear him say it. "Of course, I told you, didn't I? Helping people relieve their stress is something I'm good at."
"With something as good as this, I don't doubt it…" Naruto muttered as he started to feel his eyes droop from the soothing massage, but as he started to fall asleep he felt Akeno shift around and turn away from him, "Akeno?"
"Fufufu… Now, time for the second part." Akeno commented as she licked her lips as a seductive look appeared on her face before leaning forward.
"Wait! Second part? What second par-!" Naruto stopped mid-sentence as he noticed Akeno's clothes started to glow a bit before dying down to reveal she was now in a revealing bondage outfit. Getting a bad feeling from the look on her face, Naruto started to fidget and move around. "What the hell Akeno!"
"Ara ara, don't move around so much Naruto, I might mess up." Akeno replied, but that only made Naruto move around more.
"Mess up?! How the hell can you mess up a massage?!" Naruto exclaimed before feeling Akeno grab onto one of his feet before bending it back towards her, her large breasts pressing into his leg as she massaged his foot. "What the… Akeno wait-!"
The busty girl didn't heed his words as she began to massage his foot, making it harder and rougher as she continued. "Come now Naruto, just enjoy the massage~"
"How exactly can I enjoy it when you're only increasing the pain?" Naruto cried out before he felt extreme pain go down his legs that was soon followed by small bursts of pleasant tingles down his leg. While Naruto knew that such methods were good for helping with stress, his body was already in too much pain for it to help. The blonde once again started to move, this time with a little more force making Akeno move along with him.
"Hold on Naruto, if you keep doing that-" The black-haired girl was cut off as Naruto moved around a little too close to the edge and ended up making them both fall to the ground. Luckily for Akeno, Naruto had enough control now to twist his body under her so he could take more of the impact even though it was a short drop.
"You didn't do too horrible Issei, but you have a very long way to go." It was at that moment that the main door to the Clubroom opened as Rias and Issei walked into the room. "If you want to get stronger, you need to not focus on perverted thoughts so much."
"I can't help it Buchou! I'm a teenager, if I see a hot girl I can't help but-" Issei paused mid-sentence as his eyes snapped from his King to the floor in front of them. "DAMN IT NARUTO-SENPAI! YOU LUCKY BASTARD!"
"Hmm? What are you yelling about Issei…?!" Rias blinked before following his gaze and instantly froze up. In front of the two, Naruto and Akeno were on the floor with the later lying on top of the former while wearing a bondage outfit, with one of the straps over her breasts coming loose. It didn't help matters when they saw that Naruto was only in a shirt and pants with his head being smothered between her breasts. "What the hell are you two doing?"
Naruto tried to remove his head to speak, but some of his hair got caught in Akeno's outfit and tried to say something… only for the vibrations of his voice to make Akeno let out a low moan. "D-Don't Naruto, let me get up first." The blonde didn't stop however until he managed to remove his head with a long breath, looking back a little more he could see Rias and Issei looking down at them, the brunette Pawn had a perverted expression on his face and a nosebleed while the female King had an unreadable expression.
"… I know how this looks, but there is a very good explanation for all of this." Naruto said from his spot on the floor.
"You're currently lying under my Queen while she's wearing a bondage outfit and are partially undressed yourself," Rias replied as she crossed her arms under her chest, " So please, I would love to hear your explanation."
(Meanwhile)
"I have to admit Arcueid, I didn't think you would appear before a Devil again, let alone my grandson." Kaguya said as she sat across from the Vampire, the two were sitting at a table in Kaguya's study with a bottle of wine placed in the center. After Naruto and his sisters began their training, Kaguya had her family move into one of the many Uzumaki Lucifer Mansions that Kaguya had kept in both worlds, "You were always such a solo character from what I remember."
The blonde stared at the wine glass in her hand, swirling it in amusement. "What can I say, a lot can change in a few centuries. I've met a lot of interesting people that have caught my attention."
"And there was one in particular, wasn't there? Shiki Tohno." Kaguya took a sip of her wine as she watched Arcueid look at her in surprise, "Come now Arcueid, just because we haven't been in contact, doesn't mean I don't like to keep my eye on you. No matter what you say, traveling alone isn't very pleasant."
"… I'm not surprised you were watching me, though I suppose you're right." Arcueid replied with a smile, lifting her own glass to her lips. "I've been traveling on my own for centuries, ever since my race was killed. It's nice… to stay in one place for once."
"So why don't you tell me," Kaguya's voice went serious as she placed the empty glass on the table. "What's your plan now, if you're really here to see what my grandson will do with his powers of Light and Darkness, where exactly do you stand?"
Arcueid said nothing for the first few seconds, before placing her drink down. "… At first I had planned on just watching from the sidelines, a girl has to find entertainment from somewhere. But after a few days, Naruto started to grow on me, and I decided that I'll help him grow stronger."
"That's good to hear, I'm glad you and he were able to become friends." Kaguya grabbed the bottle and started to refill the glasses, "… On a more serious note, Arcueid, your moment should be coming soon. Am I correct?"
The True Ancestor froze for a second before nodding her head, "That's right… But I have a lot more control over it then when I was younger."
"But when was the last time you drank blood? You can't just keep holding yourself back." Kaguya said as she gave her old friend a look of concern. "… It must be painful for you, unlike normal Vampire or even the nobles, True Ancestors from the need to drink blood to not only keep yourself sane, but to also keep you powers in check."
"You forget the side effect of drinking blood… it becomes addicting to us and eventually consumes us. Even if we suppress the impulse once, the next time it will be even stronger and eventually it will become too much for us, and I will need to sleep. And once we drink blood from a person or thing, our sense of control leaves us and for a short time we only desire to drink more." Arcueid replied while letting out a dry laugh, "I know all too well about the consequences of drinking and not drinking blood."
"Do you still blame yourself for what happened?" Kaguya asked, watching as Arcueid picked up her drink. "It wasn't your fault, you were still very young when it happened, and there was no way you could have known the results."
"Maybe so, but that incident showed me that I can't be ignorant when it comes to things like that." The blonde Vampire replied as she drank more of her wine. After finishing the red drink within seconds, she placed the empty glass down. "I enjoyed our talk Kaguya, it was nice after so many years."
"As did I Arcueid," Kaguya nodded her head to the True Ancestor as she rose up from her chair. "… Tell me, what are you going to do? Where will you go?"
"Someplace where I don't have to worry about getting anyone else involved." That was Arcueid only answer as she created a portal and walked into it, "Goodbye Kaguya."
The female Devil said nothing as she watched Arcueid disappear from her sight as the portal shrunk and vanished, "… Silly girl, you don't have to do everything on your own…" Taking another sip of her drink, Kaguya smirked to herself. "I wonder how things will turn out… maybe I should meddle a little."
(Main Building of Kuoh Academy)
"…"
"Rias…"
"…"
"Why are you so angry at me Rias? I already told you it was just a misunderstanding." Naruto let out a sigh as he alongside Rias down the hallway, ever since they left the Clubroom, Rias had been giving him the silent treatment.
"… You didn't seem to be complaining about the situation." Rias finally said as she gave Naruto a side glance, making the blonde's eyebrow twitch. "It seemed to me that you were enjoying it."
"Like I said, she was just giving me a back massage to help with my sore muscles. I could barely move until she helped release the tension, and I have no idea what was up with the outfit." Naruto replied with a shrug, "… But I will say this, she is a very… gifted woman."
Rias paused for a second and turn to look at him, "That sounded perverted… Issei isn't rubbing off on you, is he?"
Naruto gave the girl an innocent look, "I have no idea what you're talking about. All I was talking about was that she has a lot of talent when it comes to different things. She is very intelligent, can make great tea, good for helping people relieve stress, talented at using magic, and has a nice smile that can calm a lot of people when she's not in her sadist mode."
"… Is that really all you mean?" Rias questioned as the two drew close to a certain door. "You certainly have a lot of positive thoughts about her already."
"Well, what can I say? I just call it how I see it, Akeno is a very kind person." Naruto shrugged as the two came to a stop. "And I will admit I've noticed she has a very impressive body, but to me that just means she is one of the good ones."
"Good ones?" Rias repeated in confusion.
"Think of it this way, there could be a woman that is the most beautiful in all the separate worlds and yet have the worst personality imaginable. Take the Fallen Angels for example, it was true that those women were very beautiful, but their personalities were complete crap." Naruto pointed it out before giving Rias a smile. "That's why I'm glad that girls like you two have both, your both kind and beautiful women."
Rias smiled back at Naruto with a small tint of red, "Thank you Naruto. I'm glad to hear you say that."
"Yeah no problem… I have no doubt that whoever either of you end up with, will be some very lucky men." Naruto said as he moved closer to the door, not seeing Rias flinch at his last few words, the blonde Devil raised his hand and knocked a few times.
"Come in." A voice came from within the room, or to be more precise, the Student Council Room. Naruto and Rias entered the room to see Sona by herself, seating at her desk while leaning back into her chair. "… Ah Rias, Naruto, I'm glad you were able to come. Welcome."
"Thanks, it's good to see you Sona." Naruto greeted with a smile, before noticing the glasses wearing Devil had a combined look of annoyance and exhaustion. "Are you alright?"
Sona gave the blonde a smile before waving off his question, "Don't worry, I just had a… visitor come by earlier."
That made Rias perk up as she and Naruto sat down at the seats across from Sona, "Oh, your sister came to visit?" That caught Naruto's attention as he looked between Rias and Sona, the later letting out a sigh as she nodded her head.
"Correct, my sister came to discuss some things involving the Underworld… after spending several hours here already to talk about pointless things like usual."
"You have a sister?" Naruto asked with a confused look, this was the first time he heard this.
"Yes I do, she's my older sister to be exact." Sona answered with a nod while placing her hands on her desk, "Her name is Serafall Leviathan, another one of the Four Great Satans."
"A Satan, huh? What's she like?"
"Imagine a girl who is the opposite of Sona, instead of strict and being a stick in the mud at times, she is playful and childlike." The violet-eyed girl's eyebrow twitched as she looked at Rias.
"Don't use me as a reference to describe my sister." Sona said, but Rias wasn't fazed by what she said.
"Yes, yes, I understand." Rias replied as she waved her friend/rival words off before noticing Naruto seemed to be deep in thought about something, his arms crossed, and his eyes closed. "Naruto, are you okay?"
'Hmm… Serafall Leviathan… I wonder why…' For some reason he felt like he had heard that name before but couldn't remember where. He halted his train of thought and was cut off as he heard Rias call out his name again. "Huh, I'm sorry, did you say something?"
"I was asking if you were okay, you seemed deep in thought." Rias asked as she and Sona stared at the blonde Devil.
"No, I'm fine, sorry about that." Naruto shook his head before turning to Sona, "So why did you ask us to meet you here?"
Sona had a knowing look on her face as she stared at Naruto and Rias, "I'm sure you both already know the reason… the fact that a few weeks ago, I suddenly feel a large burst of power coming from the Old Building where the Occult Research Club resides. And the fact that you Naruto, have gone from being a Low-Class Devil to a High-class in that short amount of time." The Sitri heiress leaned onto her desk with her faces close together.
"Well, it's a long story… The whole thing started with the Fallen Angels that had been in the area." Naruto said before he started to tell Sona almost everything that had happened during the week after Issei had been turned into a Devil.
Naruto knew that Sona was a person that could be trusted when it came to information like this, ever since Rias had introduced them after she had turned him into a Devil. Naruto had never told Rias or Sona, but when the two had met, Naruto had a very small feeling of slight Deja-vu when he met the glasses wearing Devil, something about her violet eyes… Anyway, after the two had met and told Sona about Naruto becoming a Devil yet not a member of Rias' Peerage, the girl had been amazed, before agreeing that they should temporarily keep the information from the higher-ups until they had an idea of the situation. Sona had been a great help on assisting Rias with explaining a few things to Naruto, even offering to help him if he had any questions… though she never got to finish that sentence as Rias quickly said that she was more than enough help when it came to such information, this was soon follow by a strange back and forth between the two heiresses while Naruto had met and started to chat with Sona's Queen, Tsubaki Shinra. By the time Rias and Naruto had left that day, Rias had played series of chess games with Sona before Naruto was forced to play Sona, which ended with Naruto winning, much to the surprise of the two women.
"So let me make sure I have everything, both you and your younger sister are the descendants of Lucifer." Naruto nodded his head as Sona continued, "Your grandmother, who is one of the four Super Devils, came out of nowhere after Mito and this Asia girl had been kidnapped by the Fallen Angels. And she then used her powers to not only unlock your true powers as a Devil but also made you the heir to the Lucifer Clan." Once again Naruto nodded his head, but unlike before Sona didn't say anything for a minute or so, she just stared at Naruto. "… You do realize that was a stupid move right? What would have happened if she had turned out to be someone sent to kill you?"
"Then I would've been dead." Naruto answered in an even tone, "When my grandmother appeared in the room, she had managed to not only go right through Rias' barrier but also had no reaction to my Light magic… not to mention the power she was admitting when she revealed her wings. There was no way in hell I, nor anyone present at this school, could have stopped her if she had wanted to kill me."
"I suppose that is true, if she really is one of the Super Devils then only another Super Devil would be able to match her." Sona replied while bringing her hand up into a thinking pose, "But to think the Head of the Lucifer clan would appear again… and you said that she wasn't part of the war between the Old-Satan Faction and the Anti-Satan Faction?"
"That's right, according to her she didn't want any more of her clansmen to die. Unfortunately, her people didn't agree with her and separated from her clan to join the battle, only a few people stayed with her, this being a combination of servants and clansmen as well as some of the members of the other three clans." Rias said before her mind wandered, she couldn't help but wondered if Grayfia… the red head shook her head before continuing. "So, while many of the Old-Satan Faction had gone into hiding, the rest must be a part of the Lucifer clan."
"Interesting…So this means that with Naruto becoming the heir to Lucifer, there are three heirs from three powerful family attending this school and reside in the area." Sona said as she reached up and adjusted her glasses. "This will be sure to bring quite a bit of attention to us."
"I'm more concerned about when people find out there a descendant of Lucifer is still alive, we've already seen how some of the Fallen Angels would react." Naruto rubbed the back of his head as he thought back to what happened, it was definitely something he didn't want a repeat of.
"It might not be as bad as you think." Rias said, making Sona and Naruto turn to look at her. "It's like what Kaguya had said, while you are a part of the Four Great Clans, you represent the percentage of clan members that didn't want to continue the war just like many of the other Devils. You are also allied with two Houses from the 72 Pillars, and both have members that became the new Satans."
Sona seem to study Rias for a second with narrow eyes before turning to Naruto, "She is right about that, being allied with other families can help you out greatly. And there is also the chance of many Devils wanting you to create ties with their Houses as well."
"Ties with their Houses?" Naruto repeated with confusion while Rias frowned and crossed her arms under her chest.
"Even before you became Lucifer's heir, you had unique capabilities that no Devil has ever used before. The ability to create and control Light magic, and an immunity to coming contact with Holy Artifacts. Now that we're also adding in the incredible magic power and Darkness magic received from the Lucifer clan, it is almost guaranteed that many Devils will try to do anything they can to have that power in their respective Houses." Sona explained before closing her eyes, "But you'll be able to have some control of situation with you being the heir to the clan."
"That's some good news at least… I can at least have a say if people start requesting blood samples or worse, marriage proposals just to get my abilities." Naruto said, not seeing Rias' hand twitch as her eyes seemed to dull a bit in thought. "I'd rather choose the person I marry myself instead of some stupid reason like making the next generation stronger."
"I can understand what you're saying, but such things still happen. I actually had a fiancé that my family had set up for that reason."
"Really?" Naruto blinked a few times, "So what happened?"
"I ended the engagement after beating him in a game of chess," Sona answered with a look of pride. "I refuse to marry someone that is weaker than I am, whether it be in strength or intelligence."
"…I see." Naruto's gaze went to Rias, who was still in deep thought, 'Rias …?' Naruto shook his head, before turning to look at Sona. "Was there anything else you wanted to talk about Sona?"
The violet-eyed nodded her head before speaking, "Tell me Naruto, have you retrieved your Evil Piece set yet?"
"My Evil Piece set… no I haven't." Naruto replied as he rubbed the back of his head, "I don't even have any idea on how to get them."
"It's actually very simple, you need to go see Ajuka Beelzebub. He is another one of the Satans and the creator of the Evil Piece system." Sona explained, "When you do go to see him, he will ask you a few questions. This will let him see what kind of person you are and what Pieces would suit you."
"What kind of questions does he ask?" Naruto asked, but Sona just shook her head.
"Unfortunately, I can't say, they vary from person to person." Sona grew a small smirk as her glasses had a small glint at them. "But you know, I can't help but wonder what kind of Pieces you will get."
Naruto let out a little chuckle, "I can't help but wonder the same thing. My powers aren't exactly in the normal category."
"We'll just have to find out when we go there." Rias said, making the two looks towards her. "I need to acquire a new Knight Piece anyway, since my last one was reduced to a simple chess piece by a certain someone." Naruto simply shrugged at Rias' look.
"It wasn't like I meant to absorb all of its power, all I did was stand there… and get blown through a wall." Naruto narrowed his eyes, making the red head let out a nervous laugh. "So, when do we go see Ajuka?"
"Most likely in a few weeks, though it's difficult to say." Rias replied as she crossed her arms, "Since a lot of people don't know that there is an heir of Lucifer now, you and your family would need a way to reveal yourself to the Underworld…" Sona narrowed her eyes at Rias after she said that, but didn't say anything.
"Well, I guess that's tru-" He was cut off by the sound of a phone ringing, or to be more precise, his cellphone. Giving the girls an apologetic look, the blonde reached into his pocket, "Sorry hold on one second… Hello?" A female voice could be heard from the other end, "Oh hey, is something wrong… What!? What do you mean by trouble?" Sona and Rias watched as Naruto shot out of his seat, "Do you know where she is… what do you mean I have to find her on my own!? Wait a-" Naruto growled a little as he lowered his cellphone.
"Is something wrong Naruto?" Rias asked, a little worried about Naruto's actions.
"According to my grandmother, Arcueid is in some sort of trouble. Sorry to cut this short Sona but I'm going to go look for her." Naruto said as he created a magical circle a few feet away. "We'll continue this later."
"It's alright Naruto, but do you need help?" Sona asked as Naruto walked into the circle.
"Yes that's right. We can help you look." Rias nodded in agreement, only to frown a bit when Naruto shook his head.
"I appreciate the offer, but I can take care of this on my own." Naruto replied as the circle glowed brighter, and he said one last thing before he teleported away. "I'll see you both tomorrow."
Once the presence of Naruto's magic had disappeared Sona turned to Rias with a serious expression, "Should you really be bringing attention to yourself right now? You already went way ahead of the line when you decided to hide Naruto's existence from your brother when he was thought to be just a reincarnated Devil with Light magic. But now you're agreeing with them on hiding the heir to one of the Four Clans from the Underworld."
"I'm not hiding anything, his existence will be revealed to everyone later on." Rias countered with an equally serious look, "And besides, it's my life to with as I please."
Sona stared at her red-headed friend before adjusting her glasses, "… Then tell me this, does he know about you and your family's future plans?" Rias' body twitched was all the girl needed before continuing to speak, "I thought so, mind telling me why? It isn't something you can hold back for long."
"Because I refuse that fate, and I refuse to marry that man." Rias said the last two words with venom in her voice, her fists clenched tightly. "I will do everything I can to stop it from happening… when I do that, I can…" Rias unclenched one of her hands and brought it over her heart.
"So, can you be with Naruto instead? Truthfully I can see where you're going with this, Naruto is a much better candidate then him. He is strong, comes from a powerful family and is a Pureblood, unique magic, and a great physical form." Sona pointed out making Rias turn to look at her.
"I'm not interested in that… well, maybe a little…" Rias said with a blush, but dismissed it as she continued to speak. "Naruto is much more than someone who can help me to get out of this engagement. He's very important to me… much more than I had thought anyone could be."
"You make it sound like…!?" Sona blinked a few times as she stared at Rias with a look, "Rias… what are you-"
"I better get going, I have something important to talk to Asia and Issei about tomorrow." Rias interrupted before she started making her way towards the door, "You were planning on coming over with your Peerage right?"
"Rias…" Sona started to speak before pausing and shaking her head, "That's right, my Peerage and I will arrive at the Occult Clubroom after school is finished."
"Alright, we'll be waiting. Goodbye Sona."
The violet-eyed Devil watched as her friend opened the door and made her way out. "... Goodbye Rias."
-NULRGNULRGNULRGNULRGNULRGNULRGNULRGNULRGNULRGNULRGNULRGNULRGNULRG-
Naruto ran down the path within the forest, his eyes scanning through the darkness as he searched for Arcueid. It had been a few hours since his grandmother had called him to tell him that the female Vampire was having trouble with something and needed help, though she didn't say what that issue was. It was already nighttime, and Naruto managed to pinpoint Arcueid's location thanks to Saber, and she was currently in the park where they had actually first met.
"Lord Naruto, do you really think we should be going on our own?" Saber asked as she flew by Naruto's side, looking at her master with a concerned look. "Wouldn't it have been better for us to have more people to help us search? More people equals to a larger searching ground."
"I can't bother Rias and the others with something like this… Besides, I get the feeling it would be better to go on my own." Naruto answered before he started to slow down and soon came to a stop, he looked around and noticed he was near the fountain where Issei had been attacked. His eyes drifted towards a path a little further down and narrowed his eyes as he got a strange feeling coming from that direction. "… She's down that way."
"Be careful Lord Naruto, I can feel a large amount of bloodlust coming from that direction." Saber said warily as she landed on Naruto's shoulder, who slowly nodded his head before continuing down the path, unknowingly passing a barrier that Arcueid had secretly set up to prevent anyone from entering.
Walking along the path for a few minutes he noticed a familiar figure sitting on a bench, her legs tucked close to her chest and her head resting on her knees with her face hidden. It was definitely Arcueid, but her appearance seemed different, darker and more… wild. Her body's form seemed to have shifted a little, her delicate hands were more beast-like and long claws, and her smooth hair had become untamed and all over the place. He slowly made his way towards the girl, Saber holding onto his hair tightly as he got closer and closer until he was standing right in front of Arcueid.
"… What are you doing here Naruto?" The Vampire asked without lifting her head, already aware that Naruto was arriving thanks to the barrier she had set up.
"My grandmother had given me a call, she said you were in trouble." Naruto answered as he sensed Arcueid's power, it was unfocused and pouring out of the girl. "What's going on Arcueid, why do you look like that?"
"… It's nothing… you need to… get out of here…" Naruto's eyes narrowed as he heard the girl speak, it wasn't just the sound of her voice, it was almost as if she was struggling with something. "It's taking a lot… of control… to not…"
"Control? What are you talking about? Tell me so I can help!" Naruto demanded as he stared down at the girl, who finally lifted her head to reveal her red eyes had turned golden with the white sclera had turned blood-red, and her fangs had grown longer. "… Arcueid…!"
"Vampiric Impulses." Saber spoke up, making Naruto turn his head slightly to look at the tiny girl. "A True Ancestor is still a Vampire after all."
"When you say Vampiric Impulses, do you mean the blood sucking?" Naruto asked as he looked back at Arcueid, who seemed to be struggling a bit as she looked up at Naruto.
"Yes, you see like normal Vampires, they have a strong impulse that pushes them to suck the blood of others. But unlike them however, it is several times more dangerous because of the results. And while the desire to drink blood usually dies down after a Vampire sucks the blood of a human, the desire actually grows within a True Ancestor and pushes them into a berserk-like state." Saber explained before looking down at the girl in front of them, "Arcueid, when was the last time you drank blood?"
"… It was several… centuries ago, and it was the… only time I did it." Arcueid replied before moving her arms wrapped tighter around herself, "I've held myself back… until now thanks to my willpower."
Saber looked surprised when she heard that, "That's amazing, I've never heard of a Vampire, let alone a True Ancestor, being able to hold themselves back through sheer willpower alone before."
"Never mind that now, what can I do to help her? There must be something I can do." Naruto clenched one of his hands into a fist. He could see the painful look on Arcueid's face, she was reaching her limit before she lost control… There had to be something his grandmother would have told him to if there wasn't.
"… There might be one thing-" Saber tried to say but was cut off by Arcueid.
"It's none of your… concern, I can handle it just fine… you need to leave…" Her voice seemed to grow darker by the second making Naruto narrow his eyes again, "This isn't something for you to worry about." Arcueid said but was shocked when Naruto grabbed her shoulders.
"What do you mean nothing to worry about?! We're friends aren't we?" Naruto questioned with a hard tone, Arcueid looked at Naruto in surprise. "I don't know how you see friends, but I never let my friends suffer. If you need blood so much, then have some of mine!"
"What?! Are you an idiot?!" Arcueid shouted at the blonde Devil, her golden eyes staring into his azure blue. "If I do that… then you could die! And I will go berserk again… just like last time!"
"I don't know what happened last time, but this will be different!" Naruto shouted back before giving the girl a smile, "I trust you Arcueid."
"How… how can you say that so easily?" She asked as she looked at Naruto with tearful eyes, if this continued any longer than she will most definitely… "I can't say that I wil…"
"If you think that you'll lose control then I'll stop you." Naruto raised a hand up and loosened his jacket and shirt, revealing his neck to the Vampire. "Just believe in me, we're friends after all."
The female blonde stared at his neck, her body subconsciously moving closer while Naruto stayed still, not drinking any blood for centuries was finally effecting her. Naruto braced himself as Arcueid's head drew closer to his neck, slowly opening her mouth as she got close… only to stop as she got less than an inch away. There was still a small part of her that didn't want to let go of her control, but as she tried to move back, Naruto reached up to the back of her head. With a small push he closed the gap and made her teeth pierce his neck, the girl's eyes widened as she could taste his blood in her mouth, before slowly closing them as Arcueid began to drink more of his blood. It surprised her how different drinking Naruto's blood was from the person she drank from back then, even as the blood went down her throat she didn't have a visible reaction other than feeling the bloodlust disappear. Arcueid's appearance slowly started to return to her normal state as she finished drinking Naruto's blood, pulling away from the Devil and looked up at his with wary eyes, only to see he was perfectly fine.
"Are you okay now, Arcueid?" Naruto asked with a weak smile, his body already recovering all the blood the girl had taken.
"… Idiot, I should be the one asking that." Arcueid replied with a relieved smile, before it slowly went away. "Are you sure you're okay? You don't feel any side effects or anything else?"
"I'm perfectly fine, a little drained, but that's nothing a few hours, lots of food and some sleep can't solve." Naruto said as he looked down at the Vampire, "And it looks like you're fine as well."
"Yeah, but how…?" She gaze turned to Saber who had a smile on her face, "Saber, was it you?"
"Of course." Saber said as she crossed her arms while moving to sit on Naruto's shoulder, "As you know, two of my abilities are to heal and reject any magic that either I or Lord Naruto choose, both of these helped out a lot with restoring a lot of the blood you took from Naruto and kept the darker magic of the True Ancestors from affecting either of you."
"The crazy part was we weren't even sure if that would actually work, seeing as I never had a Vampire drink blood from me before." Naruto added with a shrug.
Arcueid stared at Saber and Naruto for a few seconds before she started to laugh, tears building up in her eyes as she continued to laugh. "… You two are something else, you know that? Taking such a big risk like that."
"Maybe so, but that's what it means to be friends. We take risks when it comes to helping each other out." Naruto said with a comforting smile as he patted Arcueid on the shoulder, "Just because we haven't known each other for long, doesn't mean we aren't friends."
"...Naruto." The Vampire whispered as she looked up at the Lucifer heir.
"From now on if you ever need blood to drink, just come to me instead of trying to deal with it on your own."
"...Are you sure you're okay with this, what if I lose control of myself?"
"Then I'll help you regain control and stop you from losing it again. And that's a promise I intend to keep for as long as it takes." Naruto took a step away from the bench and held out a hand, "So come on Arcueid… let's get out of here."
She looked at his hand for several minutes before reaching out to it and grabbed it firmly, "Thank you... Naruto..." The three made their way out of the park, with Arcueid smiling to herself the whole time.
It's been a long time since she had a bond like this with someone, and she had no intention of letting go this time.